Planning Commissioners Journal

Reporting from the World Canals Conference

Note from Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville:

I've been at the World Canals Conference in Rochester and Buffalo, New York, the past two days speaking with some fascinating people from around the world -- and learning about the many positive impacts that canals and inland waterways can bring to cities, towns, and regions.

I'll be posting a series of short reports here on the PlannersWeb later. But for now, you can get a quick glimpse of some of what I've been hearing from my Conference "tweets."

If you use Twitter you'll find additional tweets later today or tomorrow morning. Use the hashtag: #canconf to locate the tweets and, of course, feel free to chime in.

You can click on the graphic of the tweets below to view it at larger size in a pop up window.

 

E is for Ecology

Automobile | Budget | Comp Plan | Design | Ecology | Farmland | Growth Management | Historic Preservation | Inclusionary | Justice | Knowledge | Land Subdivision | Maps | Neighborhood | Open Space | Public Health & Safety | Quiet | Regional Planning | Sustainable | Takings | Urban Sprawl | Vision | Water | X-rated Uses | Zoning

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 The word "ecology" literally means the study of homes ("eco"= homes; "ology" = the study of). In common use, however, ecology denotes the environment that surrounds our human existence and how people interact with it.

Ecology was powerfully brought to public attention with the publication of Rachel Carson's The Silent Spring in 1963, exposing the devastating effects of agricultural insecticides on wildlife and on the food chain. 

Six year later, landscape architect and planner Ian McHarg focused on how ecology can be taken into account in planning and design in his landmark book, Design With Nature.

With the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, and the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (which required "environmental impact statements" for federally funded projects having significant impacts on the environment), ecological considerations became part of the everyday planning vocabulary.

It is logical that ecology should be integral to planning. The natural environment is the community's birthplace. Terrain, soils and tree cover, underground water, surface streams, vegetation, and wildlife all form an interdependent unity of impact and adaptation. The goal of ecological studies, as applied to community and regional development, is to make the human impact on the elements of the environment mutually supportive and integrative with the whole, becoming one with the order of the natural world.

The protection of the quantity and quality of water in underground aquifers and wetland areas is a key concern when planning with ecological considerations in mind. Care is given to avoid building on and polluting natural aquifer recharge areas. Yet, with careful planning, even a site that includes large areas of flood plain or swamp land, may be developable -- while preserving its wetland functions. This was demonstrated in The Woodlands, a Texas new town built in the 1970s with the guidance of Ian McHarg and following his ecological principles.

Similarly, Village Homes, built in Davis, California in 1975, became a model for ecological application to a suburban neighborhood. It utilized natural drainage channels and grassed "soft" channel recharge areas in lieu of pipes and hard-sided channels to handle the increased rainwater runoff resulting from conversion of the site to a residential neighborhood. 

At Village Homes, the width of the street paving was narrowed to reduce the impervious area, minimizing runoff. Grape arbors were located between buildings and adjacent to drainage swales to absorb ground water, as well as to interject agriculture as an immediate, visible, and continuing presence in the residential environment.

When ecology is considered as part of a the comprehensive planning process, the community's natural systems (its soils slopes and land forms; underground water and surface drainage patterns; tree cover; grassland areas; ponds and wetlands; and wildlife) are all carefully mapped and studied in an effort to understand their role and to protect them from adverse human impacts. Ecological design calls for interacting with these natural systems to meet human needs in a manner that results in minimum disruption and maximum retention of the natural environment.

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For more on ecological considerations in planning, see the following articles from the Planning Commissioners Journal:

Moving Towards Sustainability

Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach

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Text by Laurence C. Gerckens, FAICP. Illustration by Paul Hoffman.
Text & illustration copyright Champlain Planning Press, Inc. | contact: pcjoffice@gmail.com

Stormwater Runoff & Low Impact Development

The practice of stormwater management is evolving beyond engineered approaches applied at the site level to an approach that looks at managing stormwater in more natural ways. Green infrastructure and low impact development techniques can be better for the environment and cost-effective. But before they can be implemented, changes to local land development policies and regulations may be needed. Managing Stormwater Runoff, by Lynn Richards | Taking Low Impact Development from Research to Regulations, by John S. Rozum & David Dickson | from PCJ #73 (Winter 2009); 8 pages total

A bioswale is one of several "low impact" features designed to manage stormwater in a North Charleston, S.C., development. Read first few paragraphs of Lynn Richards article: Increasingly, communities are looking for ways to maximize the opportunities and benefits associated with growth while minimizing and managing its negative environmental impacts, especially in terms of stormwater runoff. In many places, however, stormwater management is still primarily dealt with only at the site development level using "end-of-pipe" practices, such as detention ponds or conveyance systems, such as sewer systems or culverts. These practices, however, fail to address cumulative water quality impacts from the excessive amounts of impervious cover associated with land development. While conventional stormwater approaches work to drain each site, the continued spread of development in many areas has resulted in too much water, carrying too much pollution, running into drains and receiving water bodies. This can reduce water quality, especially at drain outlets, and lead to a dramatic drop in the refill rate of aquifers and streams. Today, the practice of stormwater management is evolving beyond engineered approaches applied at the site level to an approach that looks at managing stormwater through more natural approaches. These "green infrastructure" approaches can be better for the environment and cost-effective. Green infrastructure strategies reduce and locally manage stormwater through infiltration (water soaking into the ground), capture and reuse (water being stored in a rain barrel or cistern for later use in watering plants or flushing toilets), and evapotranspiration (water being used by trees and plants). A comprehensive green infrastructure approach to stormwater management seeks to: Preserve and enhance natural features, such as undisturbed forests, meadows, wetlands, regional and neighborhood greenways, trails, and other natural areas. Recycle land by directing new development to already degraded land, such as parking lots, vacant buildings, and abandoned malls. Reduce land consumption and development footprint by using land more efficiently. Reuse stormwater by directing it back into the ground through infiltration, evapotranspiration, or through capture and reuse techniques. While traditional approaches to stormwater management have focused at site-level techniques, green infrastructure takes into account the wide range of development-related issues at the regional, neighborhood, and site-level that affect impervious cover and stormwater runoff. ... Read first few paragraphs of John Rozum & David Dickson article: As anyone involved in land use knows, a new subdivision rarely garners much emotion, particularly of the positive variety. So it was surprising when while on a tour of the new Glenbrook Green subdivision in 2006 Connecticut's chief environmental official exclaimed, "this subdivision is wicked cool!" The 29-lot Waterford, Connecticut subdivision, also known as the Jordan Cove project, is one of the country's premier applied research sites for a variety of stormwater management and site design approaches often referred to as Low Impact Development (LID). However, making "wicked cool" subdivisions like Jordan Cove commonplace will require a multi-pronged, yet doable, revision of local land use regulations. A "New" Approach to Stormwater We know from countless studies that current stormwater management practices are not doing a great job of protecting water quality. Increasingly, communities are recognizing the need to manage stormwater through an integrative, comprehensive approach to land use planning and site design. LID refers to a variety of land use practices, including rain gardens, vegetated swales, pervious pavements, green roofs, and others, that seek to maintain or even improve the pre-development hydrology (i.e., quality and quantity of runoff) of a particular development site. LID practices have been highly touted throughout the country in recent years as one large piece of this puzzle. Research findings suggest it is worth the hype. The Jordan Cove project (see next page), funded by the EPA through the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), represented a ten-year research effort to gauge the effectiveness of many of these onsite stormwater management techniques in "real world" conditions. The project found that when used in combination these practices can indeed replicate or improve the pre-development hydrology of an area. Yet, implementing these practices will require communities to make changes to the way that land development is done from top to bottom and changes of this magnitude are rarely taken quickly. ...

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Lessons from Houston's Streets

 Its' always enjoyable to spot an informative web blog dealing with ways to improve a community. In the case of NewUrbanStreets, the community is downtown Houston, Texas, and the blog tells of "lessons learned" and "issues faced." Here's how Tom Davis, the creator of the blog describes it:

"The purpose of this blog is to share things learned by Tom Davis (me) in the public infrastructure and community improvement industry. At this time this blog will address primarily the past 10 years of my 39-year career where I have had the privilege of being part of the revitalization of downtown Houston, Texas. The posts here are articles about features of downtown’s urban streetscape and contain descriptions of the improvements. The hope is these descriptions help others add such amenities to their public space."

From the postings we've read, there are certainly some good, practical lessons that can be learned from downtown Houston. Just take a look at two recent posts, one on paver inserts in concrete sidewalks (Jan. 9), another on the use of trench fountains (Jan. 7).

Looking forward to learning more from Tom Davis.

Mayor: Citizens are Developing a Green Grand Rapids

This January and February we'll periodically be including excerpts from "State of the City" addresses given by mayors from across the U.S. These addresses can offer insights into both innovative programs and challenges facing cities.

Previously posted:

Shoreview, Minnesota, Mayor Sandy Martin

Salt Lake City, Utah, Mayor Ralph Becker

Ashland, Oregon, Mayor John Stromberg

Topeka, Kansas, Mayor Bill Bunten

Albany, New York, Mayor Gerald Jennings

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Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mayor George K. Hartwell
To read his complete State of the City address (pdf)

A vision must reflect the past, incorporate learning from our failures and build on our successes. 2009 will forever be known as the year of Green Grand Rapids … and the Green Grand Rapids Plan will forever shape the face of our city ... 

Our community drew together over 100 times in public meetings; more than 1800 people participated in the design of the plan. The results are stunning … but are not exactly what we had anticipated. You see, we knew we’d have a great plan when the day was done, and that then we would take its component parts out and sell them to the public. But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Teams working on the plan got so enthusiastic about the emerging results that they forged new coalitions and created new organizations, and began to implement the plan before it was even completed. 

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks formed to raise money for improved parks and green spaces in our city. This non-profit foundation has hosted park clean-up events in all four quadrants of the city. 

The Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition formed to implement complete-street design initiatives and seek funding for bike lanes and trails. Under the Coalition’s leadership this year Grand Rapids was designated as a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly City and we have our eyes on the gold! ... and the Grand Rapids Whitewater non-profit organization formed to advance the plans for a Grand River whitewater kayak course. These citizens – every one of whom captured the vision and made it their own – have raised the first money for engineering and hydrological studies.

Also, before the ink was set on the pages of Green Grand Rapids the Planning Department applied for $1.9 million in federal stimulus funds as part of a larger Kent County grant. If approved ... we will be able to implement 100 miles of on-street bicycle improvements, we will make safety and access improvements to 20 neighborhood parks, we will install bike parking at four transit stops, we will engineer four miles of sidewalks along 28th St., and we will assist in funding consulting services for the Downtown Urban Market.

There are many bold and exciting recommendations in Green Grand Rapids. A few of them are: 

• Provide an accessible park within 1/4 mile of all residents 
• Extend the Riverwalk system from Riverside Park to Millennium Park 
• Achieve 40% tree canopy coverage in the city 
• Manage stormwater where it falls 
• Adopt a Complete Streets ordinance Design all streets to be safe, walkable and bikeable, and pleasing to the eye 
• Return the Rapids to the river 
• Develop ordinances to support community gardening, and 
• Support a 4-season downtown farmers' market

As citizen groups coalesce around these audacious goals you will see a new Grand Rapids emerging; a green Grand Rapids; a Grand Rapids that will provide national leadership in the sustainable communities movement.

... Governmental leaders, elected and staff, must maintain the tools, sharpened and polished and easily accessible to assist citizens in doing important initiatives be they neighborhood-based or city-wide. Then those government leaders, elected and staff, must get out of the way and let the citizens do what needs to be done. We can harness the energy, we can provide the structure, we can promote the ideas, but we must let our citizens accomplish the great things they have in mind.

Constructing Rain Gardens

In the Winter 2009 issue of the Planning Commissioners Journal we highlighted the growing importance of stormwater management in local planning. These two videos focus on one technique: the construction of rain gardens. The videos contain some good, basic information that should help citizen planners better understand what's involved with constructing a rain garden.

The first video below (produced by the Opequon Creek Project Team) shows a larger-scale rain garden being constructed in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The second video (by the Backyard Farmer at the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension) focuses on a smaller-scale rain garden.

For more on green infrastrucutre, take a look at the contents of our newly revised and expanded publication, Green Essentials.

"The Epicenter of the Green Movement" ... is in Kansas

Just a little over two years ago I visited Greensburg, Kansas, not long after a devastating tornado destroyed much of this small city -- population about 1,500. Take a look at my report, Rebuilding Greensburg. While there -- besides being overwhelmed by the scope of the devastation -- I also got the clear sense that Greensburg would be coming back. I was also impressed by how people from across the state of Kansas were rallying to support Greensburg.

Having said that, I'm still amazed by the direction Greensburg has taken. As one young resident says in this video, Greensburg is "the epicenter of the green movement." It's a view shared by local leaders, business owners, and residents.

Here's one part of a series of short videos from the Sundance Channel. To view the full series on Greensburg.

Some photos I took while in Greensburg two years ago. The bottom left photo is of the City Council meeting under the tent; bottom right, planners discussing rebuilding priorities (more on this on my 2007 report from Greensburg).

  click on photos to pop up at larger size

Reports from Leg 2 of "Circle The USA"

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

I'm back from the second segment of my planned "Circle the USA" travels, covering Detroit; Troy and Flint, Michigan; and Elkhart County and northwestern Indiana.

 

I've filed the following reports. Take a look, and sign up for our Circle the USA blog feed and/or email updates.

 

-- When Rouge Turned Green

-- Preservation or Demolition?

-- Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit

-- A Suburb Plans for Change

-- Not Giving Up on Flint, I

-- Not Giving Up on Flint, II

-- Good or Bad Signs in Indiana?

-- A Main Street Succeeds in Tough Times

-- Planning for 46 Miles of Lakeshore

My next segment will include several days in the Chicago area, followed by stops in Kankakee County, Illinois; Dubuque, Iowa; and southern Wisconsin.

 

Again, check out our Circle the USA web site where announcements and reports will be posted.

PCJ Winter 2009 Issue Now Available

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Contents of the Winter 2009 Planning Commissioners Journal:
Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach by Lynn Richards -- and -- Taking Low Impact Development from Research to Regulations by John S. Rozum, AICP, and David W. Dickson The practice of stormwater management is evolving beyond engineered approaches applied at the site level to an approach that looks at managing stormwater in more natural ways. But before "green infrastructure" and "low impact development" techniques can be implemented, changes to local land development policies and regulations may be needed.
	The ABC's of TOD: Transit-Oriented Development by Hannah Twaddell Transit is making a remarkable comeback. But one of the most intriguing aspects is that it is being helped along by -- and helping to stimulate -- new development close by transit stops. A look at how TOD works & its benefits to communities.
Community Self-Assessment by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP How can you ensure that your comprehensive plan makes sense as a whole, and guides decision-making to choices that create a healthy, balanced community? One important way is by engaging in a community self-assessment, a process that helps identify issues and build consensus.
	Meaningful Dialogue With the Public by Elaine Cogan By engaging in a true dialogue with the public, you may learn some useful information and actually enjoy the give-and-take.
Different Perspectives by Ric Stephens Do you ever try to assess how you and your fellow planning board members look through the eyes of those attending your meetings? Getting feedback can yield valuable insights, and lead to changes in how your commission conducts its business.
	Planetizen Update Highlights from the top planning news stories reported in 2008 on Planetizen's pages.

In Future issues: How Phone Trees Can Increase Public Participation | Key Public Safety Issues in Transportation Planning | Strategies for Avoiding Contentious Public Hearings | Good vs. Bad Density | Using Zoning Incentives | Planning Strategies to Promote Energy Conservation | and much more
Recent Back Issues:	Special Focus Issues:
Fall 2008: Pattern Books: A Planning Tool | GIS & Planning | Where Do We Want to Go? | and more	Winter 2006: Bright Ideas: 21 creative planning-related ideas & programs you should know about
Summer 2008: Greenways | Developing at the Edge | An Introduction to Charrettes | and more	Fall 2005: This Land Is Your Land: on "takings" and property rights, and how planners can respond
Spring 2008: Car Sharing | Revisiting Ex Parte Contacts | Chairing the Commission | and more	Fall 2004: Back to School for Planners: on the impacts of school location, and the relationship between planning and school boards
Winter 2008: Downtown Futures: continuing a series of reports from planners across the U.S., focusing on downtown issues	Spring 2004: Sphere of Influence: water and its impacts
Fall 2007: Crossing America: a series of reports from planners across the U.S. | Bypass Highways | and more	Fall 2003: Planning for Historic Preservation: an introduction to historic preservation planning
Summer 2007: Planning for Better Roadscapes | Fitting Roadways to Community Needs | and more	Winter 2002: Opening the Door: planning for affordable housing
Spring 2007: "Visitability" & Inclusive Housing | Downtown Economic Development | Engaging the Public | Geometry of Zoning | and more	Spring 2000: The Promise of America: noted planning historian Laurence Gerckens, FAICP, looks back at 10 successes & 10 failures that have most affected America's cities

Eco-Municipalities Step Forward Naturally

• a power plant fueled entirely by a city's own solid waste.
• only bicycles and pedestrians allowed in the city's downtown center.
• an eco-industrial park built to minimize energy consumption.

That's just some of what makes Umea, Sweden (population 110,000) an eco-municipality, planner Sarah James pointed out during the annual meeting of the Vermont Planners Association.

James, the co-author with Torbjorn Lahti of The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices, has focused much of her consulting work on helping municipalities develop approaches to reducing local energy needs and become more environmentally-conscious.

Screenshot from the Umea Energi web site of their Dava power plant.

Eco-municipalities seek to weave long-term sustainability into the fabric of their community. It's an idea that's taken hold in Sweden (click on the British flag icon for English), but is starting to catch on in the U.S.

At the Upper Midwest Planning Conference last November, Anna Haines, Director of the Center for Land Use Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, described how twelve Wisconsin municipalities in the rural Chequamegon Bay area have moved towards becoming eco-municipalities.

Local residents have taken the lead in advocating for their city or town to adopt a resolution designating itself as an "eco-municipality." The process usually starts with interested individuals meeting in weekly "study circles" to educate

Greening Up Vacant Lots

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Philadelphia, like other industrial cities, has seen many of its neighborhoods -- especially in lower-income areas -- fall victim to population loss and crime. A pervasive atmosphere of insecurity has plagued those residents who remain, while deterring revitalization efforts.

At the recent Smart Growth Conference in Washington, D.C., Blaine Bonham (on right) noted that there are some 40,000 vacant lots in Philadelphia, up from 31,000 in 1999. With the City engaged in extensive demolition of derelict, unsafe, abandoned buildings "the amount of vacant land coming online has been overwhelming."

Besides being a constant, visible reminder of hard times, vacant lots have often been the repositories of illegal trash dumping. As Bonham put it, "there are big costs to the city of Philadelphia" for extra sanitation and policing needs, "an additional $1.8 million spent annually with little impact."

In an effort to dramatically turn things around, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society -- working in cooperation with city government -- has developed an innovative and aggressive citywide program to clear out vacant lots, and keep them clean.

Yes, you read that right, the Horticultural Society. Founded in 1827 by "old guard" Philadelphians, the Society has far outgrown its high society roots. Some thirty years ago, explained Bonham (the organization's Executive Vice President), the Society began plowing some of the revenue generated

Green Roofs are Cool

... and can make a major dent in the "urban heat island" effect in our cities -- that is, the increased temperature due to lots of paved surfaces that absorb the sun's heat.

As part of this February's Smart Growth Conference, a group of us had the chance to visit the green roof atop the headquarters of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in their historic downtown Washington, D.C. offices.

But before Nancy Somerville, ASLA's Executive Vice President, shepherded us up to the roof, she told us about some of the benefits -- and challenges -- of installing the green roof.

Retrofitting a green roof on an older, historic building was not easy -- or cheap. One of the major expenses was the need to construct a new stairway to the roof, so visitors wouldn't have to clamber up a ladder. The roof also includes a grate walkway so people can circumnavigate the roof and view the varied plantings. And given that this roof is under the stewardship of landscape architects, it's not surprising that the roof's design is quite attractive and the plantings diverse.

The ASLA green roof has a unique feature: it is shaped into two "waves" or mounds. They're formed with thin layers of styrofoam insulation, and serve to hide the HVAC systems. As Somerville explained, they also allow the plantings to be at eye level, helping create a more attractive amenity for visitors. [Click on the drawing to view it at larger size].

But you have to bear in mind that ASLA's green roof is a model / demonstration project, a living

laboratory to help landscape architects learn about the functioning of an urban green roof. So it wouldn't be fair to hold it to a strict cost-benefit accounting.

In fact, as Somerville (above left) noted, one of their goals is to carefully monitor and measure the impacts the roof has on temperatures and rainfall retention, and to also see which plants thrive best.

Which brings us to potential benefits. Somerville ticked off several, from lowering urban temperatures, to reducing stormwater runoff, to improving air quality, to reducing energy use inside the building, to creating new biohabitats.

Perhaps the key reason for the growing popularity of green roofs lies in the fact that between 15 and 25 percent of the surface area of our cities is comprised of roof tops. Since most rooftops today consist of impervious, often dark-color surfaces, they do nothing to reduce either temperatures or stormwater runoff. But add a few inches of soil and plantings, and you get some dramatic differences.

The first year results for ASLA's green roof, for example, showed that it retained 74 percent of all rainfall (some 29 inches) -- including 100 percent of all rainfalls of less than 1 inch. Reducing urban stormwater runoff can yield environmental benefits, as well as save cities costly infrastructure investments.

How much of a soil layer do you need on a green roof? There's no single answer. As Somerville pointed out, what are termed "extensive" green roof areas typically consist of just 2 to 6 inches of soil or growing medium, and are quite light in weight. "Intensive" roof areas can have depths of 6 inches or more, and will support a broader range of plants. Part of what is possible, depends on the roof's structural capacity. On the ASLA building this varies in different parts of the roof. For example, more intensive planting are possible above the elevator shaft which offers greater structural support.

Before we left Somerville reminded us of the "amenity value" of having a green roof. With wonderful views and cooler temperatures, it can offer a great place for employees to take a break. Not surprisingly, green roofs can increase a building's real estate value.

Can't visit the ASLA's green roof? Take a look with their rooftop webcam! And visit their green roof project web site for more details and performance data on the roof.

What's Syracuse's Destiny?

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

Promotors say it will be one of the most spectacular green building projects in the world ... but some detractors at the national Greenbuild Conference see it as an auto-centric, anti-community, white elephant.

What they're referring to is Syracuse, New York's, ambitious Destiny project, being developed by real estate mogul Bob Congel, founder & managing partner of the Pyramid Companies, a major mall developer.

At Wednesday's Greenbuild Conference in Chicago, a panel of project boosters -- including Congel (on far right in photo) and Syracuse Mayor Matthew Driscoll (second from left) -- laid out the case for this mega-project.

Destiny is being called a "destination retail city." That is, it's planned as an enormous 75 million square foot retail, hotel, and entertainment complex intended to draw visitors/shoppers from well beyond the immediate Syracuse area.

It's location is outside the city's downtown -- expanding on the existing Carousel shopping mall (see photo below). One way to view it as a mall on steroids -- perhaps along the lines of the Twin Cities' Mall of America.

But what makes the project interesting -- besides its unique blend of private, city, state, and federal financing -- is that it's being designed to incorporate a full panoply of green building practices, such as using recycled industrial materials as part of its construction, and having its own 22 MW renewable-energy power plant.

This is in keeping with Mayor Driscoll's vision of Syracuse as "Green Capital of the World." At the Conference, the Mayor spelled out a series of "aggressive" steps the city has already taken to reduce energy consumption, including an ordinance that requires all municipal buildings to be LEED-certified.

Dan Tomson, Managing Director of Citigroup Global Markets (second from right in photo of panelists), which is instrumental in putting together Destiny's financing, said that "we believe in combatting climate change with market-based solutions."

But the project financing relies on a number of state and federal financial "sweeteners," including $228 million in federal, tax-exempt green bonds designated for energy-conserving projects, plus a huge brownfields tax credit.

At the Greenbuild Conference, Congel also announced the latest addition to the Destiny project, a $450 million dollar, 1342-room hotel and conference center, which would make it the largest hotel in New York outside of New York City. (See illustration at start of this post; the hotel is in the foreground).

Congel described how he came up with the design concept for the hotel: "We needed to get an icon type of thing. I wanted to have it look like grass growing up 600 feet." The hotel, which Congel said would meet LEED-platinum standards, would also "change the skyline not just of Syracuse, but of the United States."

So what's not to like about what would be one of the largest green projects in America? One concern raised at the Conference by Ken Kortkamp (on right) a San Francisco-based engineer is the "auto-centric" nature of the project. As Kortkamp commented, "you're not creating a community, let alone a sustainable community." Others also questioned the absence of any residential component of the project, and its dependence on visitors coming by automobile.

In response, Mayor Driscoll said the project "will be a trigger to development elsewhere in the city" and would help fight sprawl. The challenge for Syracuse, he added, will be "how do we take this project and help benefit the rest of the city." For Congel, the project will "create the demand that other private developers will take care of." In terms of transportation, Congel also mentioned the possibility of designing a monorail system as part of the project (hopefully connecting with the Syracuse airport and downtown).

The U.S. Green Building Council is also behind the project, having purchased one of the new federal green bonds issued for Destiny.

For an economically depressed city like Syracuse, Destiny offers an attractive vision. But will the visitors arrive in the number expected? And will Destiny deliver benefits to the rest of the city, including its downtown?

Update posted on 11.26.07: An interesting post on the Veritas et Venustas blog about the transportation-related factors in "green buildings" -- something that came up in questions about the Syracuse project:

"Designers and builders expend significant effort to ensure that our buildings use as little energy as possible. This is a good thing—and very obvious to anyone who has been involved with green building for any length of time. What is not so obvious is that many buildings are responsible for much more energy use getting people to and from those buildings. That’s right—for an average office building in the United States, calculations done by Environmental Building News (EBN) show that commuting by office workers accounts for 30% more energy than the building itself uses. For an average new office building built to code, transportation accounts for more than twice as much energy use as building operation."

See also my post during my cross-country trip about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation "green" headquarters building -- the building that's the focus of the Veritas et Venustas blog entry.

Jamming in Green

From Planning Commissioners Journal Editor Wayne Senville:

The green build movement reached critical momentum this week, as more than 20,000 people: developers, contractors, engineers, architects, planners, students, and assorted elected officials, jammed into the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago for the 2007 International Greenbuild Conference.

Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Conference featured a keynote address by former President Bill Clinton, and well over 100 workshops and panel discussions. This was in addition to over 800 vendors who packed the exhibition hall (go to a post on Best Green Blogs for more on some of the vendors, including photos).

Wading into the largest lunch line I've ever encountered (see below), I was floored to see such enormous interest in green building practices. Another attendee had a similar reaction. And CNBC reporter Diana Olick reported that "I'm not often shocked, but I am today. And so were the folks running the convention. An unbelievable response, is all I can say. This place is so packed with people from all over the world that the registration line was literally two hours long."

Just across the street from the convention center was a sign bearing witness to the growing interest in green building: a new Chicago condominium project touting to potential buyers its green features.

At the start of the Conference, former President Clinton announced an initiative of the Clinton Foundation that will include:

• partnering with the City of Chicago to enable a "green overhaul" of privately-owned multi-tenant housing across the city, as well as of the enormous Sears Tower and Merchandise Mart buildings;
• a partnership with GE Real Estate to retrofit projects in GE's $72 billion global portfolio; and
• a major effort (with the U.S. Green Buildings Council) to create a "Green Schools" program to reduce energy consumption in K-12 schools, along with a comparable program aimed at colleges and universities.

Clinton noted in his remarks that "when it comes to climate change, the hurdles we face aren't technological, they're organizational ... the solution to the climate crisis isn't far off in the future -- it's in the buildings we inhabit, our civic infrastructure, and the way we organize our lives."

In terms of green building, Clinton observed that "what we have to do is prove that this is not a big bottle of castor oil that we're being asked to drink." Instead, he described green building as an enormous economic opportunity for the nation.

More on some of what I heard during the Conference in my next post.